Airport Serves Important Aviation and Economic Roles in North Metro Area

By Kristen Beckman

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) opened in 1960 and has been owned and operated by Jefferson County continuously for 62 years. The airport, better known to many longtime area residents as Jeffco Airport, is Colorado’s fourth-busiest airport.

The airport serves an important function in the National Airspace System. It is one of three reliever airports in the Denver Metro area. The primary function of a reliever airport is to relieve congestion at an air carrier airport by diverting general aviation traffic away from that airport, in this case Denver International Airport.

Owned by Jefferson County, the airport sits on property midway between Denver and Boulder off Highway 36. Jefferson County bought 1,700 acres of land for the airport in 1959 and began operations the next year with one runway, a 600 square-foot hangar, a terminal building, and space for 17 aircraft.

Photo by Timothy Seibert, Flatirons Pro Media

As aircraft operations increased, there was a need for an air traffic control tower. Construction began in 1965 and the original 62-foot tower went into operation in 1967. Shortly after, the airport became the busiest general aviation airport in Colorado. In 2005, the airport changed its name to RMMA to reflect its location between Denver and the Rocky Mountains.

Throughout its six-decade history, the airport has evolved, adding runways, facilities, and services to accommodate local aviation needs. Aircraft operations and development activity have ebbed and flowed with the state of the overall economy, said Airport Director Paul Anslow. “While peak aeronautical activity occurred in 1977 with nearly 250,000 operations, the 2010s saw a strong recovery, from 120,000 operations in 2010 to nearly 190,000 operations in 2020,” he said.

While the airport does not currently host scheduled air carrier service, it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as a public-use airport that can accommodate all types of aircraft. A staff of 25 people administer ground leases and financing of the airport, maintain the airfield to FAA standards, and provide airport-rescue and fire-fighting support. The airport has received numerous awards and national recognition for airfield safety and snow removal operations.

Today, the airport serves as a significant economic generator in Jefferson County and along the US36 corridor, serving as a base for three Fortune 500 flight departments, the aviation department of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, five aviation flight training schools, and many other on-field based businesses. In addition, the Jeffco US Forest Air Tanker base is on-site, providing crucial support to air tankers combating forest fires in Colorado and the mountain region. In total, a CDOT Economic Impact Study found that RMMA contributes over $700 million in economic activity to the region.

“The airport is home to over 400 based aircraft, ranging from small aircraft built in the 1940s to business jets capable of flying direct to Europe,” said Anslow, whose responsibilities include negotiating future airport ground leases, identifying and implementing airport infrastructure projects, and even the occasional turn in a plow truck if needed. “Meanwhile, our on-field flight schools provide an excellent career track and are working hard to supply the significant demand for new pilots at commercial airlines.”

He also noted RMMA is very approachable to the aviation-curious. “The terminal is a great venue for grabbing a bite to eat and watching aircraft taxi by just over the fence.”

Photo by Timothy Seibert, Flatirons Pro Media

The airport terminal is home to Blue Sky Bistro as well as the Mt. Evans conference room, which provides an event venue overlooking the ramp at RMMA. In 2021, the airport hosted six significant public events at the airport, including the Jefferson County Airport Association Fly-In, the Commemorative Air Force Flying Legends of Victory Tour, the Collector Car Council of Colorado Car Show, the Commemorative Air Force Air Power History Tour, the Special Olympics Colorado Plane-Pull Fundraiser, and the National Lao-Hmong Memorial Foundation Kick-Off.

Several movies have been filmed in part at the airport, including scenes from “Stand Up and Be Counted” in 1971 and “SwitchBack” starring Dennis Quaid and Danny Glover in 1997, according to historical airport documents. Records also indicate that former President Gerald Ford visited the airport while on the campaign trail, and former Vice President Al Gore visited the airport in 1994 to memorialize firefighters who died on Storm King Mountain.

While numerous high-profile individuals may use the airport, they are able to remain anonymous due to the nature of corporate air travel and the services of the airport’s fixed-base operators, said Anslow. “However, we do enjoy the arrival/departure of the occasional professional hockey team or University of Colorado Athletics charter.”

Photo by Timothy Seibert, Flatirons Pro Media

Airport Supports Neighbors Impacted by Marshall Fire

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) played key support roles in response to the Marshall Fire that devastated parts of Superior and Louisville on December 30. The airport is located only a few miles from the burn area in Boulder County.

The evening of the fire, North Metro Fire Department (NMFD) requested assistance from RMMA Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighters (ARFF). Four staff members took the airport’s ARFF truck and assisted in fighting grass fires along Highway 128.

“We have an incredibly close and strong relationship with the communities that surround us, including Louisville and Superior,” said RMMA Director Paul Anslow. “Many of those residents and others from surrounding areas work at the airport, take flight lessons at the airport, eat at restaurants at the airport or run businesses directly or indirectly impacted by the airport. We feel a responsibility to offer whatever assistance we can to our neighbors.”

Those impacted by the fire include an airport employee whose home was destroyed. In addition, President Biden landed at RMMA when he visited the area on January 7 to survey the damage. The President arrived in Colorado at Denver International Airport via Air Force One and traveled from there to RMMA aboard Marine One, along with four V-22 Osprey aircraft from Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1).

Photo by Timothy Seibert, Flatirons Pro Media